The Atlanta Braves handed the Minnesota Twins a 9-8 loss at CoolToday Park on Monday in spring training play. Despite Royce Lewis's 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI effort at the plate, the Twins could not pull even when it mattered. Zebby Matthews worked 3.2 innings on the mound, allowing 6 earned runs on 6 hits. The Braves out-hit the Twins 12-11 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Twins continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Royce Lewis was the top performer at the plate, going 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Twins will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Josh Bell provided support, going 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBI, Tanner Schobel also contributed, going 1-for-1 with a home run and two RBI, and Gabriel Gonzalez chipped in, going 2-for-2 with a home run and an RBI. The Twins showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Mauricio Dubón led the Braves offense with a 2-for-3 with a double and three RBI day. Drake Baldwin also contributed, going 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI. Michael Harris II added a 1-for-3 with two RBI effort as well. The Braves offense proved to be too much for the Twins pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Zebby Matthews took the loss after running into trouble, working 3.2 innings while allowing 6 earned runs on 6 hits with five strikeouts. He threw 69 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 3.4 innings of work, allowing 3 earned runs while striking out three. The Twins continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting. Adam Maier recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Andrew Morris stood out with 2.1 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
Braves got on the board first with eight runs in the first inning. The Twins countered with four runs in the third. Braves struck back with a run in the fifth. The Twins answered with a run in the eighth. The Twins tacked on three runs in the ninth. Braves out-hit the Twins 12-11, with 2 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 4,872 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Twins will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.